Week beginning 21 July 2013
Monday 15th July Another hot sunny dayand the river at 3” roughly as it’s off the gauge and 66 degs this morning. Chris Tunmore and Andrew reported for duty, Chris has been lucky the last few years with his July days but I reckon his luck has run out this year, we had a few casts at the Slap and had the Monday morning rise then round the Cauld which produced a 2lb Brownie in very good condition. As there was a good breeze blowing I took myself off down to Duddo to strim the paths which turned out to be a big mistake as there was not a puff of wind between Duddo and the Glide, so 20 mins later I emerged soaking in sweat unable to see but I did get the path done.
Tuesday 16th Another hot humid day water 68 degs, Chris who is Norfolk’s champion rat catcher set off down the beat with a spring in his step but arrived back at lunchtime with nothing to show for his efforts, Andrew tried the Slap and Cauld with a wee fly and a skimmer but same story. The river is not as bad as it use to get in a long hot spell as the nitrate buffer zones must be having an effect now a few years ago it would be full of blanket weed covering the hook on every cast. Wednesday 17th Sunny hot again and the lads have waved the white flag, their off up to Harris for a week’s fishing so might have a bit more luck up there as it looks like there’s been a wee bit of rain over the north west at least it will be cooler and duller. Thursday 18th Another scorcher today and really hot this afternoon, cut all the paths round the beat with ride on tractor as there was no way I was getting a strimmer out. Chris Ladley started at 5.00am this morning to beat the heat but it made no difference as he never had a touch, Bruce is busy repairing bottom of Temple wall and I’m debating getting wooden Temple boat out of the river again as it has a fair leak I might give it into next week to see if it will tighten up. Paul had Chris out in Cauld in the boat but really all he was doing was scraping the paint off the oars. Water was 68 this morning but it’ll be back into the mid 70s by mid afternoon, it was seriously hot here this afternoon and still no change in sight. Friday 19th Much the same as yesterday sunny, hot with just a wee breeze and no fish. The fishing might be bad but some of the stories you hear in the hut have you crying with laughter. As for the fishing it’s just not happening , I had a go at the Trout last night but they don’t want to play, mind you I made it hard for myself as I forgot my fly box so had to fish with a wee March Brown that shows the last time I had my Trout rod out. And Clancy your right Onions do not like hot polytunnels lost 5 of them so far but the outside ones are doing fine. Jackdaws are back at the chicken run again nicking all the grain so they will have to be deterred again. Kelso Yetholm rideout tomorrow so that’s another 4.30am start but I’m not driving tomorrow so happy days I might have a wee shandy or two. Saturday 20th Off to Kelso Yetholm rideout and it was a bit cooler for the horses, Grant (son) finally came unstuck from the horse the super glue on his jodhpurs must of given up as the horse went left and he went right, so thats a bottle of champagne on the stump! The rods today had elected not to come due to water conditions and didn’t miss much as only 8 fish were reported off the Tweed one of them on Saturday. The forecast for the week ahead is showing showers some of them thundery, it will take a lot of rain to raise the river but some rain is better than none.
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